If I had one wish for 2019 it would be that journalists and elected officials cite original sources of information about K-12 spending in California, a subject about which far too many too often cite unauthoritative sources. For the record:
According to the Governor’s Budget (see page 23 of 2018-19 Governor’s Budget), California is spending $16,085 per K-12 student this fiscal year:
That’s after state K-12 spending grew 65 percent over the last seven years (see page 22 of Governor’s Budget):
Separately, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) produced an analysis of the Governor’s Education Budget filled with data and including answers to frequently asked questions such as “where does California per-pupil spending rank among the states” (in the middle — see page 12) and Average Teacher Salary By County:
Readers and constituents deserve fact-based discussions about important subjects — and no subject in California is more important than the public education of six million students. Let’s ring in the new year with facts.
